2.2.2 Spreadsheets CODY

Social and ethical issues
Students must study and evaluate the social and ethical issues involved in the use of databases and spreadsheets. These may include:
privacy of information in different cultures
rights of individuals with respect to the storage of personal data
social consequences of outdated or incorrect data stored in databases
social consequences of the release of sensitive data stored in databases
legislation on access and use of database information in different countries
responsibility for the security of data stored in databases from different perspectives, for example, the developer, the user and the management of an organization
accountability for the negative social effects caused by insecure databases
ethical issues related to the collection and use of personal data
ethical issues related to the selling of data stored in databases.
In order to study and evaluate the social and ethical issues involved in the use of spreadsheets, the student must have an understanding of related technological concepts. These may include the following.
Design and creation concepts
Key terms—cell, cell format (number, text, value, function, calculation, date, currency), row, column, label, macro, replicate, template, worksheet, “what if” questions, range, absolute and relative reference
Paper files versus electronic files
Reliability and integrity of data
Storage and access concepts
Data transfer between a database and a spreadsheet
Presentation concepts
Select, print and display area of a worksheet
Use of the appropriate graph or chart for the meaningful representation of information
Special-purpose spreadsheets, for example, inventory, budget